Southampton Street Lights to Bring Free Wi-fi

Southampton’s street lights will soon provide the city with free Wi-fi as council chiefs have officially signed off the deal to telecommunications firm Arqiva.

The city’s street lights, as well as other council owned structures, will be made available to install a city-wide wireless network. Access will be free for 30 minutes each day but there will be a charge after that. It is believed that set up will begin in the city centre, the waterfront and along the main transit routes.

Cllr Simon Letts, Leader of Southampton City Council, said:

“I’m delighted that Southampton is well on the way to becoming a leading digital city with residents and visitors soon able to have free access to the internet in a range of locations. There are a great many potential social and economic benefits to the city in providing such a service, and it aligns with our priority to promote Southampton and attract investment.”

The project will not be of any cost to the council but will, in fact, provide a small income as 20 percent of the proceeds earned by Arqiva will go to Southampton City Council.

Southampton will soon be known as one of the first cities in the south of the country to provide free Wi-Fi to its users, attempting to make daily life a bit easier for everyone. Work is expected to start in the next three months.

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